Agrotourism Has Been Growing in Thailand, Especially in the Coffee Industry
If you enjoy coffee – especially the kind of organic, free trade coffee you’ll find in Thailand – then an agrotourism trip may be the perfect vacation for you. So if you’re considering an agrotourism trip to Thailand, you’re in for a real treat. Here are a few stops that should definitely be on your agenda.
Ban Mae Chan Tai Agrotourism Centre
First of all, it’s important to know that agrotourism isn’t just about coffee. There are any number of Asian agrotourism projects you can enjoy, from learning to fish, to picking rice, and more. But if coffee is your cup of…um…tea, the place to go is the Ban Mae Chan Tai Agrotourism Centre in Chiang Rai Province.
Chiang Rai Province has many beautiful areas to explore, from majestic gardens to awe-inspiring temples to inspiring museums. But if you are interested in agriculture and how the products you enjoy on a daily basis are actually farmed and grown, then you’ll definitely need to visit the Ban Mae Chan Tai Agrotourism Centre.
The Ban Mae Chan Tai Agrotourism Centre is famous for being the home of the coffee plantation that produces Akha Ama Coffee. The Centre features what company leader Ayu Chuepa calls A Coffee Journey. A Coffee Journey is a three-day journey through the story of Akha Ama Coffee, which was the only Thailand coffee in the 7 World Cup Tasters Championship in London back in 2010.
Follow the Journey of the Coffee Bean
Visitors will get to follow the entire journey of this amazing organic coffee product, from the growing of the coffee plant to the harvesting and processing of the beans, the experiences of the farmers and workers who bring the beans from the plant to your cup and more.
You will become truly immersed in the Thailand coffee growers experience. You will learn the culture of the local community, and not just the coffee growing culture but also the natural experience the citizens of the area bring to that coffee.
You will also learn to cook and eat local food, learn about the farming system, including the nutrients in the soil and the cultivation of coffee cherries and see the whole process of processing the beans, and of course, you’ll get to sample the coffee!
Other Agrotourism Opportunities in Thailand
Even if you don’t get to Ban Mae Chan Tai, you should seek out and explore other agrotourism opportunities in Thailand and in other parts of the world for your next coffee journey. In our consumer-driven, everything-on-demand culture, it’s too easy to forget where our products come from, and all the hard work of so many people that must occur for us to get them.
Agrotourism is a great way to get back to nature while soaking in the experience of other cultures, including some that have been in existence for thousands of years but which many of us know almost nothing about.
Your experience of drinking coffee or eating or drinking just about any food or beverage that comes from farmed products can be greatly enhanced once you not only know, but have also experienced first-hand where they come from.
The Exotic Bean loves introducing the taste of new and exotic coffee flavors to coffee lovers everywhere. To learn more about how you can enjoy some of Thailand’s greatest organic coffee tastes, visit TheExoticBean.com.
[image via: 7Greens]